Saints slip back into big trouble
MIRREN MATCHES AS THEY WERE REPORTED AT THE TIME
as Peter Pawlett collected up the scraps, picked out Considine, and the defender’s knock-on was dispatched by Rooney from close in.
Saints managed to muster a shot from Arquin after the striker collected a Stevie Mallan free-kick to the back post, but Aberdeen goalkeeper Scott Brown was on hand to make the save.
And moments later it was midfielder John McGinn who got in on the act, taking a crossfield pass from Jason Naismith – but again Brown was there to turn his header away from goal.
Saints entered the break a goal down but slightly buoyed by the couple of chances they had managed to fashion.
But three minutes after the second half whistle blew, any lingering hopes of a shock result were extinguished.
Northern Irishman Niall McGinn whipped in a cross from the left-hand
Star Saint: John McGinn
Match Facts
Score Aberdeen 3 St Mirren 0
Scorers Rooney (21, 48), Reynolds (66)
Bookings No-one
Red Carded No-one
Referee Kevin Clancy
Attendance 14,720
Teams St Mirren (4-1-4-1): Ridgers, Naismith, McAusland (Baird 53), Goodwin, Kelly, Dayton (Sonupe 82), McLear (Wylde 60), Mallan, Tesselaar, J McGinn, Arquin. Subs not used: Kello, Gow, Thompson, Osbourne
Aberdeen (4-4-1-1): Brown, Logan, Daniels, Reynolds, Considine, Pawlett (Goodwillie 68), Flood (Robson 84), Jack, N McGinn, McLean, Rooney (Shankland 77). Subs not used: Langfield, Smith, Robertson, Shaughnessy, Shankland side, McLean managed to head it back across goal, and Rooney was in the right place at the right time to send a right-foot shot into the bottom left-hand corner to make it 2-0.
There was a further blow for Saints when right-sided centre- back Marc McAusland’s day ended prematurely after 53 minutes, with Jack Baird coming on to replace him.
Right full- back Naismith tried his luck with a shot that the home defence blocked before Gregg Wylde added some width to Saints, replacing youngster McLear.
Rooney passed up a chance to make it 3-0 as he came tantalisingly close to connecting with a McLean cross, but Aberdeen nevertheless wrapped up the win after 66 minutes, with Reynolds at the back post taking a Niall McGinn left wing corner and heading it past Ridgers.